Stay alert for wildlife in road

July 11, 2008

One dead brown snake. These docile reptiles rarely get larger than about 10 inches. They like moist places, and this one was apparently trying to cross the road that divided the wetland in which it lived.

One dead female cowbird. Somehow she met up with a vehicle grille as she flew across the road.

No one knows how many creatures are struck by vehicles. For several years, IÂ?ve been keeping an informal survey of wildlife road kills along the 1Â½-mile stretch of road I walk a few times a week.

In the 1950s, the Humane Society conducted a Fourth of July body count on a sampling of roads. Again, in the 1970s, they compiled data from independent researchers on studies of single roads, or studies of single species.

In both cases, the numbers were alarming. Extrapolating the data, the Humane Society estimated 1 million vertebrates are killed each day by cars and trucks.

Songbirds make up a small portion of my list. Still, IÂ?ve documented mourning dove, cardinal, indigo bunting and others.

Most surprising are the large birds. In three years, IÂ?ve tallied wild turkey, great blue heron, great horned owl and, recently, mute swan. The latter can weigh more than 30 pounds, with a wing span of more than 6 feet.

Some national parks track wildlife road kills within their boundaries. Reptiles and amphibians far outnumber other vertebrates on the charts. ThatÂ?s true for my list, too. This spring, on a single damp night, I counted 23 dead frogs of assorted species.

Turtles are also frequent victims. As I was returning home from my walk the other day, I spotted a large turtle in the road. She must have climbed out of the slow moving creek. It was a map turtle, with a yellow-striped head and sets of concentric yellow rings on her shell. She was a grand dame for her species, with a shell more than 10 inches long.

If she could talk, sheÂ?d have plenty of stories to tell. The scutes of her shell were peeling. The flared edge near her tail was missing big chunks, and there was a huge gash on the top of her shell that exposed flesh underneath, probably a result of tangling with a boat prop. Yet, despite her senior status and injuries, she was driven to lay eggs one more time.

When transporting a turtle, itÂ?s helpful to place it on the side of the road where it is headed. I carried her across in hopes that I will not have to add her to my road kill list.

To protect animals and drivers, some states like Florida and Alaska have installed wildlife underpasses and overpasses on roadways that bisect habitats. Warning lights on some highways flash when wildlife is near.

But the best way to avoid collisions with wildlife is to be alert for animals in the road, especially in natural areas at night.

Evelyn Kirkwood is director of St. Joseph County Parks in Indiana and host of Outdoor Elements, which is broadcast at 9:30 a.m. Sundays and 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays on WNIT Television. She can be reached at ekirkwood@sjcparks.org.